1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically supplying linear objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Linear filament-like objects made of synthetic resin or natural material are used as bristles for articles such as hair brushes, tooth brushes, clothes brushes and the like. The tips of linear objects used for such articles are often processed by treating the tips with heat so that the tips become rounded or semi-spherical in shape or the tips are coated with chemicals in order to modify the linear objects.
An apparatus for such processing of linear objects comprises a rotatable drum having grooves on its circumference, wherein each object is held in a groove during processing. An apparatus of this type is capable of processing the linear materials, but it is not capable of feeding the objects to the subsequent step of the manufacturing process. In practical manufacturing operations, it is necessary to supply the processed linear objects to a subsequent step, such as to a bristle-pegging machine.
Most of the linear objects used for making the above-mentioned articles are very light in weight and are difficult to feed by a conventional chute feeder because they become charged with static electricity. An apparatus is available for processing the tips of the linear objects and feeding them to the subsequent step, in which grooves are formed on the upper surface of a plate, each of the linear objects is held in a groove while the plate is reciprocated, and the linear objects being processed are directly supplied to a hopper of the subsequent step. With this apparatus, however, the linear objects have to be separated into individual lines in order directly to process their tips, and this causes a problem of performing the manufacturing operation at a high speed.
It is the purpose of this invention, therefore, to provide an apparatus for supplying linear objects at high speeds, continuously and efficiently, and overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages.